Does anyone know if schools were invaded during WW2?

Question

and if they were send to concentration camps such as Auschwitz

Answer 1

Yes, they went through schools to find Jewish children. My mother told me that when the Germans invaded France two of her classmates disappeared in her school. They came back a few days later their blond hair dyed brown and were presented to the class as newcomers under new names. They stayed the whole war in that school, everyone knew about them. When  the police made a sweep through the school the girls were overlooked.  

Answer 2

My mother lived in Germany during the war. When the war started the schooling stopped. Perhaps it was just the town she lived in, I don't know, but there was no one to teach anybody after 1939.  The school wasn't invaded, it just ceased to exist.  My mother never finished school.  When the war ended, she had to find a job. The only jobs available at the time was taking care of the American officers. That's how my mother met my father.

Answer 3

Yes they were.

The n***s would make sweeps through the schools and remove Jewish children and teachers and take them away - usually never to be seen again.

Most Jewish children, once this behavior was known, were kept home from school. They were then home schooled. This extends to piano and voice teachers. They would no longer have Jewish children come to their homes. Some would go to the children's' home instead, but most would not for fear of being caught up.

Many Jewish kids were sheltered by their schools and had to "learn" how to be a Catholic so they would fit in. Other kids noticed that these children just "appeared," weren't up on their Catechism, never went home on Holidays etc. Most were left alone and safe, but some were most certainly ratted out - by their own classmates.

I'm discussing France and the Low Countries in particular. In Germany, they had closed most of the schools and/or already taken the families away. Even those who survived the War were scarred for life emotionally. Often, they wound up being the only member of their family to survive.

As to the non-Jewish children in Germany who perished in Allied Bombing Raids - the Allies are not to blame - Hitler is.

If a ship from the 8th Air Force bombed a school, hospital, neighborhood - a non-military target in other words - that crew was called on the carpet and often demoted.

Sir Arthur Harris and the R.A.F. was different and did not share this opinion.  He was thinking of the Blitz, Coventry, V-1's, V-2's, etc. He was entitled to his opinion - the English earned it.

Dresden was a confluence of events, people.etc that was NEVER planned. No one knew of the German troops at the station, or the Soviets pushing so far in, or, most importantly, the number of refugees who were in Dresden that day in transit to their final destination. It was a tragedy any way you look at it.

I agree that the Norden bombsight was NOT THAT accurate, hence, bombs WERE often dropped on non-military targets, however, the USAAF did their level best to limit civilian casualties. As you correctly stated, this was not always, or even often, possible.

This is also complicated by the fact that the US flew the day missions while the British flew at night making the US much more vulnerable to attack from the ground as well as German fighters.

The disciplinary measures came into play when there was a Pattern of bombing civilian targets, an OBVIOUS deliberate loosing of the bombs - usually reported by one or more of the other fliers on that ship or in the same formation or, again, apparent, repeated "cowardice" ("oops, engine #4's on fire-we have to turn back") and the bombs went into the Channel.

My father was a Bombardier in the 8th A.A.F. and spoke of this. Rarely, but he did. And it is backed up in many historical records - particularly of the Mighty 8th. Such as The Mighty Eighth War Diary which takes you mission by mission. I have confirmed many of my Dad's stories using this and other sources. Jayne's of London, 1990 (?). Not that I didn't BELIEVE him - but in my business, it doesn't hurt to check and it certainly confirmed that what he said was true.

Those men who committed acts such as I've set forth WERE disciplined.

My Father was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Answer 4

Yes, and they were also bombed. The n***s invaded schools in occupied France to take away all the Jewish children, who were then executed. The n***s bombed everything the could in Russia, and when Russia gained air superiority, they returned the favor. The Allies also bombed schools, though they were not high priority targets. Dresden was completely destroyed by firebombing. This included all the schools, hospitals, factories, homes, markets, etc.

Answer 5

Whilst in France I came across a school where a plaque outside stated that during the occupation, the n**i authorities (not necessarily Germans) turned up at the school rounded up all the Jewish children (easily spotted as they had to wear yellow stars on their clothes) and transported them to a concentration camp.

How sick is that.

Further to previous answer I in no way insult or criticise any airman who flew bombing raids, but they idea that they could pick and choose targets that accurately is just not true. Even under ideal conditions the US Norden bomb sight (better than anything else at the time!) could still only place 50% of bombs within 1/4 mile of the intended target. The idea that the USAF would discipline people for hitting a 'non-military' target with tools that inaccurate owes more to propaganda than fact I'm afraid.